This is about the people who make sports happen behind the scenes. The ones who show up before the players and leave after them. The ones who know every player's quirks, every coach's preferences, every little detail that makes a team function.
And the New Orleans Pelicans just showed one of those people the door after 38 years of service.
David Jovanovic, known to everyone as "Big Shot," has been let go by the Pelicans after nearly four decades with the franchise. Thirty-eight years, folks. He started with the Charlotte expansion franchise in 1988 and stuck with the team through moves, name changes, good seasons and bad.
And they just... let him go.
The move has shocked the basketball community, and former players aren't staying quiet about it. David West, who played for the Hornets, didn't mince words: "The right thing to do was let Shotty decide when it was time. Shameful and embarrassing."
That's a former All-Star calling out his old organization publicly. That tells you everything you need to know about how beloved Big Shot was and how poorly this was handled.
According to multiple sources, Jovanovic was "universally beloved" - by former players, coaches, current staffers, people who hadn't been associated with the organization in years. When you're the equipment manager for 38 years, you're not just doing a job - you're part of the family.
You're the guy who knows which rookie is nervous before his first game. You're the one who can tell when a veteran is having a bad day just by how he grabs his jersey. You're the institutional memory of the franchise, the connection between eras and generations of players.
And the Pelicans decided that wasn't worth keeping around.
Look, I understand that teams make business decisions. I get that organizations have to make changes sometimes. But after 38 years? You let the man decide when it's time to retire. You give him a proper send-off. You honor his service.
You don't just show him the door like he's been there 38 days instead of 38 years.
